What is architectural
millwork?
Architectural millwork
includes all the decorative and many functional elements inside and outside a home
or commercial building. Doors, windows, trim and molding, cabinetry, paneling, ceiling
treatments, exposed columns and beams, staircases, mantels and built-in furniture
are all encompassed by this term.
Why spend more on
custom millwork rather than stock?
Any owner who values
architectural aesthetics should consider handcrafted millwork. Custom millwork is
built to exacting standards from select grades of wood, to achieve either accurate
historic style or sleek contemporary design. Fine hand craftsmanship costs more
than mass production, but you'll see the difference every time you open the
cabinet, pass through the door or walk into the room. We will cheerfully suggest
ways to work within your budget, and we'll provide a reliable estimate after
talking with you to determine your needs.
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What kind of woods
do you stock?
Each of our
facilities have a large stock and a wide variety of domestic hardwood, imported
hardwood, softwood lumber and FSC certified lumber. Our capable staff can
procure virtually any type of fine wood and FSC certified woods. Your project
will never be limited by what we have "in stock." For more specific details on
species and grades go to our Products page for full descriptions and
specifications.
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What if I cannot find my moulding profile in your catalog or on your website?
Our catalog
represents a fraction of our total moulding inventory. We are adding new
profiles daily. Fax us a tracing of the profile you need to match and we can
create a profile. If you are looking for something not currently in our profile
inventory, we will be happy to manufacture a custom profile. Tooling charges (if
required) vary depending on the size of the moulding and the profile. Please
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Wood that will be finished using a staining process vs. wood that
will be finished using a painted finish?
Choosing a type
of finish is a matter of personal choice. Generally, a lower grade wood is used
for projects where the finish will be painted. There may be minor imperfections
that are not visible after the wood has been painted. A higher grade of wood
would be used in a stained finish. The wood would contain fewer defects as well
as having a more consistent color throughout the run.
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Is
choosing paint-grade wood a less expensive option?
No. Generally a
project that will be painted goes through more preparation in the painting
process than the staining process when finishing the wood. In fact, there are many processes for new painted finish options that can significantly increase the cost of the project.
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How do you convert board foot prices to lineal foot prices?
Once you
know the cost of a particular board at its price per board foot, divide that
dollar amount by the number of lineal feet in the board and that will be the
cost per lineal foot.at dollar amount
by the number of lineal feet in the board and that will be the cost per lineal foot.
Example: An eight
(8) foot long board that is 10” wide and sells for $5.00 per board foot.
96” x 10” = 960
square inches
960 divided by
144 = 6.6 board foot
6.6 board foot
x $5.00 = $33.00
$33.00 divided
by 8 (8 feet) = approximately $4.12 per lineal fo
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What is meant by “product-of-the-grade”?
Defects allowed
in the lumber to manufacture, will appear and are permitted in the finished
moulding. Such defects can include knots, sapwood and heartwood. Not considered
would be color.
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Do you
provide specific lengths?
All lengths are
random and will vary from three to sixteen feet. We buy our wood in random
lengths and try to cut the longest lengths possible. Also, we try to match
lengths to each molding according to use. When ordering random lengths, be sure
to include extra footage for waste or mistakes. Custom millwork orders should
always allow extra footage for waste, since shortages cannot be easily filled
without additional time and set-up charges.d always allow extra footage
for waste, since shortages cannot be easily filled wTypically, on
larger volume orders, with a wide variety of cuts, excellent yield can be
expected from random lengths, and specified lengths are not always necessary.
For smaller orders, it is generally advisable to specify your lengths,
especially for jobs that require pieces of similar lengths. Smaller jobs with a
variety of cut lengths, especially shorter lengths, may not require specified
lengths. When ordering specific cut lengths, be sure to include all pieces,
especially short lengths. If promptness is important, be sure to ask our staff
about the availability of the lengths you need when you order.
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Do you
provide Sanding Services?
Yes. All of our
facilities have the ability to provide profile sanding. Millwork is not sanded
unless specified in the customer’s order.
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Do
you sell rough lumber or can you custom surface your lumber?
We sell lumber
to customer’s specifications. With our State of the Art Machinery we can surface
your lumber to whatever thickness your job requires.
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Do I
have to buy an entire bunk of lumber?
No. One of the
benefits of working with Frank Paxton Lumber is that you can order one board or
one million board feet. We are here to help you get the job done right, on
budget and on time.
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Do
you have long lead times for Custom Millwork?
Lead times tend
to be about a week. When ordering custom millwork from Frank Paxton Lumber we
can take a drawing or sample and create an exact replicate in our CAD moulders.
Everything is kept in house to help provide quick and accurate turnaround time
for your project.
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What
are your set-up fees?
With a minimal
order usually around 300lf all set-up fees are waived. Some species require
carbide knives which are an additional cost.
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What
moisture content does most of your lumber come in at?
We check our
lumber with a moister meter. Reasonable content is between 7% and 10%.
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Does
Frank Paxton Lumber bring its lumber in on “net tally’ or “gross (green) tally”?
As a general
rule, we bring it in on “net tally”.
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What
is the difference between “net tally” and “gross (green) tally”?
“Net tally” is
the lumber volume measured after kiln drying. “Gross tally” is before kiln
drying. There is a shrinkage factor of approximately 8% after kiln drying.
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Do
you provide FSC Certified Lumber?
Yes. All of our
Frank Paxton Locations are FSC Certified.
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Do
you sell proprietary grade or HPVA grades of Hardwood Lumber?
We sell Hardwood
Plywood from vendors who follow the HVPA grading rules and stamp each panel.
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Are
your MDF panels dual-refined?
Yes. Our MDF is
manufactured so the density difference between the core and the face is
minimized. This will allow you to machine edges with a profile without worry of
fuzziness.
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What
does 4/4 mean?
Rough lumber is
measured in quarters of an inch. 4/4 designates 1” rough thickness. 5/4 equals
1-1/4” rough thickness, 6/4 equals 1-1/2” rough thickness and so on. The use of
quarters always means rough thickness. On the other hand using inches, such as
“one inch and a half” is taken to mean thickness after planning (surfacing the
lumber).
What
is S2S?
S2S means
Surface Two Sides. Our planer has cutter-heads above and below the board, so we
surface both sides to a specified thickness in one pass.
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What
is SLR1E?
SLR1E means
Straight Line Rip One Edge. This is when you straighten one (1) rough edge of a
board. Smaller shops tend to use a joiner and larger shops such as Frank Paxton
Lumber use a Straight Line Rip Saw. A laser line shows the operator the path of
the saw blade and a chain feed pulls the board straight through the cut so no
guide(fence) is needed. This is a very efficient and fast way of establishing a
straight, square edge on lumber.
What
is Gang Rip?
A Gang Rip Saw
has a large arbor that accepts multiple saw blades spaced a programmed distance
apart. This allows us to feed boards in and rip into multiple widths in one
pass.
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What
is S4S?
S4S means
Surfaced Four Sides. It refers to standard dimensioned lumber such as 1x4, 2x6
and so on. S4S is always produced in a moulder so all surface
faces and edges are very smooth.
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How
is plywood graded?
Faces are graded
with letters, A, B, C, etc. and backs are graded with numbers 1, 2, 3, etc.
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What
does R/C and P/S mean?
R/C is Rotary
Cut which is the easiest and cheapest way to make veneers. The veneer is cut
from the log like a roll of paper towels. This makes the grain pattern looks
zigzag. P/S is Plain Sliced which is the same thing as Flat Cut. The veneer is
cut from the log the same way as lumber so that the face looks more like boards.
This is considered a higher quality and your high end veneers like Walnut and
Cherry are all cut this way. You can also specify other cuts such as Quarter
Sawn and Rift Cut.
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What
does VC mean?
VC means Veneer
Core. This is the way most plywood is made.rial">What does VC mLayers of veneer plied
up alternating grain direction. Increasingly we are seeing more and more MDF
core, which is heavier and cheaper but also flatter, more stable and
dimensionally accurate. Architectural panels are almost always laid up on MDF
core. Veneer Core panels tend to telegraph minor imperfections in the core,
which can show up on the wall with typical downward lighting.
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Is
all plywood 4’X8’?
No. We can get
custom plywood produced up in virtually any size up to 5’ x 12’.
No. We can get custom
plywood produced up in virtually any size up to 5’ x 12’.
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